James bruen foote



(No Model.)

J. B. FOOTE.

LADDER HOOK.

N0. 401,742. Patented Apr. 23, 1889.

UNITED STATES JAMES BRUEN FOOTE, OF DELANCY,

NElV YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO GURDON E. MAXlVELL, OF SAME PLACE.

LADDER-HOOK.

SPECIFICATION fo'rming part of Letters Patent No. 401,742, dated April 23, 1889.

Application filed January 29,1889. Serial No. 297,996- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES BRUEN FOOTE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Delaney, in the county of Delaware and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Ladder-Hooks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in ladders; and it consists in certain novel fea- 1o tures, hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front View of a ladder provided with my improvements. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the upper end of the same on an enlarged scale. Fig. 3 is ahorizontal section on the line 00 so of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the hook. Fig. 5 is a section on line y y of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings by letter, A A

designate the side bars of the ladder, which are made to converge upward and have their upper ends secured together, so that the ladder will have substantially an A shape,as shown.

On the inner sides of the side bars, near the z 5 upper ends of the same, I secure the dovetailed guides or cleats B, and between the said guides or cleats I mount the cross-head or sliding block D, the ends of which engage the guides or cleats, and to the center of which is 0 secured a hook, E, adapted to support the ladder. This sliding block or cross-head is prevented from falling by a spring, F, having one end secured within a recess in the side of the side bar, and having its upper end extend- 3 5 ing normally outward into the path of the sliding block and bearing against the under side of the same.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings,

it will be seen that I have provided a very simple ladder, which is especially adapted for gathering fruit and other purposes where a support for the upper end of the ladder is not convenient. The hook can be engaged over the bough of a tree or overa projecting ledge of a building and the ladder thus suspended and securely held, as will be readily understood. WVhen the ladder is to be used in places where the hook would probably interfere with the raising of the ladder, the spring is pressed 5o inward and the sliding block then pushed downward, so as to pass the upper end of the spring and drop below the guides or cleats, so that the hook will be removed.

Having thus described my invention, whatl 5 5 claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s

1. The combination, with the side bars of the ladder having their upper ends secured together in contact, of the hook removably .60 fitted between the same, as set forth.

2. The combination, with the side bars, of the guides secured thereto and the sliding block engaging the guides and carrying the hook, as set forth.

The combination of the side bars, the guides secured thereto, the sliding block having its endsengaging the guides and carrying the hook, and the spring secured to one of the side bars and bearing against the under side of the sliding block, as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES BRUEN FOOTE.

lVitnesses:

JEROME I. GOODRICH, WELLs R. WHITNEY. 

